Ver. 10.-ne s~ere law of Okrist. "Be tho.1,1 faitpful," ew.' h~th. th,e pity ,0f Rome there is a long succession of subtel'f8IUt&U Stf'~~ ~d galleries, quarried ~OIJ:JJ\e rQC~ strata of the soil. These are, now opelMl(l.~d,~ra_ma,y visi~them. ,.'fbl!r)' are fflllarkable; they are even wonderful ; they are t~e. moat ll,lltoilishjng ~ - , is ta..WQrld. ',l'hey are called the Oata,combs; they a~~e l>urial.plaees of the. m ~ ·,o( $be•yoUJJg Christian faith. ·The illllcriptions OVell innumerable tombs are to be read ~• ;yet., they B8fllll. fresh, 11Imost 118 if painted :rwiterday,. and they are fragrant with the flo:wen( ·of '.iIDDlortality. ·• Many •of t.he-, ineoriptio.ns , (Ul8 paesiOW!,WlY;! ,toiu:hiqly affeoti.anstl3, ... They speal!; tenderly of the star of hope which had just. ,isen. QD.. µte eonfiles•o_f ,tb.a grave; _ther ~~nd. in wonderli.l~ contras_ t to the des~ir of pagani~i;n and the· poetry .of m-ira.ce. 'I hither, from tort®ng racks and burning coals, the .~rly Chri11tians, oonveyed revered and beloved forms, precious dust. . 'l'hey de posited them there :with tear$, but in the full assurance of the life beyoilQ. the death, beyoµq. t,be fumle.a.nd dongeon, . It is remarkable that in these low Cataoom.}>s Christi11,n aft. ];i,ii.dj.ts birth~art, which is always the struggle of mind with d8ltth; and. in this palpa,ble carving :in the.. stone, 3.11d the floral delineations of the pencil, the chisel ;and palette were first consecrated there. When John wrote, the martyl'II. were crowding. into the Catact1>mbs; and, not only Mo, the profession of the Christian faith everywhere had an outlook to martyrdom. It is said these words were addressed to Polycarp, and were the prophecy of his death beneath the persecution of the mild Aurelia.n ;. for, however niikl and merciful . a.n timperor could be to others, he could only be merciless to Christian&, But ihere is a deeper- lesson than the merely. pleasaut reviyal of an 1$0riclll story,4ow- ever venerable -and affel\ting that story may be; it is that which undei:lies all .such storie. and all such .texts· as. that before us now-the -lesson that every crown 1 is won only as we ,bear. ~ er-O.SS- Such are the· O\>nditions under which }Ve liye.. This is th~ everlawng lesson "On whose !!\ill-recurring page Naught grow■ obsolete with age." Iiet us trace it for a little while. It is true- . I. ,IN PRYSIOAL LIFE. The body .that is to become agile, healthy, strong, 'must· not }>e,.pamnered or allowed to lie at home in indolence. Athletes are not made 119, But by .discipline, toil, severe exercise. . .. II. IN llENTA.L LIFE, What drudgery and grind at tasks arid as sand, and demanding se:vete effort of mind in proportion to their dcyness, have to be submitted to! Scholm:- ship is not.to be attained by mere wishing for it. Look at the men who have won prizes in thi.s department of life, and the traces of their-toil will be seen furrowed in their countenances, and, too often, in worn and wasted frllID.es. , III. IN ~ORAL LIFE. Innocence is pleasing enough, bu~ if it is to. be' uplifted into virtue, it m1.111t be tried and disciplined. Tem,Ptation is the athletic of the soul, the indispensable training for its attainment of high moral excellence. A cloistered virtue is r,are13' .a robust one; it is in the arena of the world, where the stress and strain of fi.rrce tel)'.!.ptation will- have to be endured, that we gain real strength. And ~ · , . . JV. bf. 'l'RE SPI&ITUA.L LIFE. Excellence in any of those regioµs of life of. which we :\i,ave .iJready spoken is µat easily attainable; .one obstacle and anotl}fr s~nd in. ,the w~y. and must be overcome. But most of aU must we expect to meet opyosltia;ri vvhen we.strive for excellence in the spiritual life. The school is so hard a orie that we should neY,er go to it of our own accord, an9- therefore God sooner or li!,tef sends. us, ill :there. And some he sends early and keeps them late. And in it are heard, B~(!ng ,cries aud IMlrs,agQP,ized. prayers, and often the moan of pain ~nd the wail of the bereaved. ·_There ~e,,broken ~~r~ not a few, anq souls overwh!Jlmed '\Vith woe. What is the l)]~aning of it all-:-the diMppointment, the weariness and distress, the whole· creation ~~ng 11,I!.d tra;ve.il~g together in pain even until now-what means it, but that our spu-its are thus being taught and trained and educated. for the higher life of God? Ven1f for t_.h_, is c_.rqwn, there is no other way than the way of Jne_ cross. ,And that we may the leS!J slµµll,;t. from it, oµr Lord himself came down from heavE!n to e!lrth, aqd lived herE! Qll-r-life,..aD,d,, 11-bove all, bore our cross, only that his was much heavier and sharper th;an ou~•. •:I lqve to lie here and look at that," said a I>09r dying girl ·to the writer, .who was viiu,ting'.her one day, and noticed a porcelain cast representing our Saviour bearing his Ol'.-0118, wJ;i)ch was han.g:ing at the side of her bed; "it helps me," ,11he imid, " to bear lJl.Y ,pain bettei:," Ah I yes; that Christ has borne his cross doe~ help_ all who trust ~ him the, better to \>ear theirs, and so the better and l!OQner and surer to. attain to tb,at IJW,Ji~l exoell8D.!)8 for .which all the often stern discipMee of life.' here are preparing ~.c. . . . . ,.. . .. , .. ,··. ~;, , 1 • .·, · , , .. , 1 1, , • • • i , . ,_ •. C • ;
.YP .i2~11:..:..:71te ~ fo the Churrch at Pergamoa. it iould ~. ~~ 88 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN TllE DIVINE. (on. n. 1-29.